REMINDERS 2012-2013

WELCOME TO 3rd GRADE!

May 20, 2013

Students received their Science Practice Test on "Changes in Matter" Friday, May 17. The Science Test on this chapter will be Tuesday, May 28. Tomorrow students will be taking the Social Studies Test on ch. 6 as well as the Math Test on ch. 27. Please Review tonight!! Students received their Soc. St. Practice Test on ch. 6  last week.

Please be sure your child is completing all assignments ON TIME and handing them in. There will be VERY LITTLE time to make up missed work this quarter prior to 4th qtr. final grades!

PLEASE RETURN ALL PROGRESS REPORTS SIGNED ASAP! THANK YOU! These were received May 15.


May 6, 2013

Our CAC show will be this Friday! This week we will be practicing-singing, dancing, acting & completing our final arts & crafts projects as we study the solar system! We will not begin another Harcourt Reading lesson this week. We will continue to work on Charlotte's Web, Lesson 26, this week. Students should review their Spelling & Vocab. for Lesson 26 as well as the Grammar focus-irregular verbs & the Comprehension focus-inferencing. The Reading test for Lesson 26 was rescheduled for this week. Refer to last week's yellow Reading assignment sheet (4/29-5/03). Students will just receive a Math assignment sheet for the week of 5/6-5/10; there are no new Vocab. or Spelling words.

Please be sure your child isn’t missing any work because teachers are working on 4thqtr. progress reports. ALL LATE WORK MUST BE HANDED IN by Tuesday, May 7 in order to count for 4th qtr. progress reports. Late work handed in after Tuesday will count for final 4th qtr. report card grades but will be too late to be calculated with progress reports.

April 18, 2013

Thank you so much to all of the parents who came to meet with me on Report-Card Pick-Up! I really appreciate you taking the time to come to school, especially in the bad weather yesterday, to discuss your child's grades and what he/she can do to continue to make progress in the future!

Next week we will be at the end of Theme 5 so it will be time for our Theme 5 Test. The Theme 5 test will encompass Reading Lessons 21-25. Students will receive a study sheet today to help them prepare for next week's test. Please be sure that you review all of the skills & concepts on the study sheet with your child at home; the test will be next Thursday & Friday. The study sheet will be on the website.


April 9, 2013

Students will not be receiving any more graded papers for 3rd qtr. I will be holding all graded papers for our report card folders and we will discuss them at Report Card Pick-Up on April 17. If you look at your April Calendar and the calendar on the website-April 11 is the end of 3rd qtr. Monday was the deadline for handing in late assignments for 3rd qtr.


April 5, 2013

Students received their IPADs  yesterday. We are all very excited! We worked on ST Math and Study Island in class. The teachers will be downloading educational apps on the student IPADS and we will be incoporating these programs into our daily curriculum as well as using our IPADS to do research!


April 2, 2013

Upcoming dates: Social Studies Test ch. 5- Wednesday, April 3
                          Science Test- Properties of Matter- Thursday, April 4
                          Book Fair Dates: 4/10- 10:40
                                                    4/15- 10:00

March 5, 2013

Our ISAT begins tomorrow. Be sure your child gets enough rest tonight, eats a healthy breakfast, & gets up on time for school. Testing will begin on time. If your child wears glasses, please make sure your child has them tomorrow. There isn't an official homework sheet this week. Students should review Buckle Down Reading & Math & their handouts in their ISAT folders. Everyone has worked really hard this year! Students should relax and focus on doing their personal best!


February 22, 2013

We have one week remaining until ISAT! Over the weekend, students should work on ST Math for at least 2 hours. They also need to complete their Using Arithmetic ISAT Math Packet. We have 1 more Math ISAT packet to complete next week-Understand Multiplication & Division which is a review of multiplication & division concepts. Please take the time to review all of the Math ISAT packets with your child this weekend and next week. Be sure he/she spends time completing ST Math. Study the Reading handouts and the information in the ISAT Reading packets. Students should complete pp. 74-86 in their Key Ideas & Details Reading ISAT Packet.

We are almost in the middle of 3rd quarter. Students who need to hand in any late work should do so by Monday if they would like it to count for their 3rd qtr. progress report grades. LATE WORK handed in after Monday will count towards report card grades for 3rd qtr. but will not be able to be averaged into 3rd qtr. progress report grades.


Feb. 15, 2013

Weekend Homework: We are doing a review of solid and plane figures. Please refer to the ISAT packet on Geometric Shapes that we completed in January for additional study information. Students will be completing Math text pp. 322 & 296. Students must know all of their solid figures & their characteristics (how many faces, edges & vertices): cube, rectangular prism, sphere, cylinder, square pyramid & cone (p. 294) for the ISAT as well as their plane figures & their characteristics (how many sides & angles, do they have pairs of parallel sides or equal sides): triangles, quadrilaterals, pentagons, hexagons, octagons (p.314) & parallelograms, rhombuses, rectangles & squares. (p. 321)

We will also be working on pp. 70-77 in the Key Ideas & Details Reading ISAT Packet.


Feb. 6, 2013

REPORT CARDS!  Students are bringing home their report cards today for 2nd qtr. as well as their Winter MAPS scores in Reading & Math. Please take the time to look at your child's MAPS scores and compare the FALL & WINTER so you can see the gains your child has made. Some students are also bringing home Failure Notices stapled to their report cards.  Failure Notices are for students receiving a D or F in any content area subject-Reading, Writing, Math, Science or Social Studies. Report cards and failure notices should be signed and returned as soon as you can.

Feb. 5, 2013

Today, the students are bringing home another graded Reading Test; yesterday, they brought home their Spelling Test from last week and their Math Quiz. If you have not seen these graded tests, please ask your child to show them to you. Also, today, students participated in one of two ISAT simulations. They worked on a Reading multiple-choice ISAT practice test and an extended response. Tomorrow they will work on a Math ISAT multiple choice test and a Math extended response. These tests will count as a grade in Gradebook. 

Please be sure your child is keeping up with his/her ISAT packets. Yesterday we finished going over all of the answers in the 1st ISAT Reading packet-Vocabulary Development. Students received their 2nd ISAT Reading packet yesterday- Key Ideas & Details and their 5th ISAT Math packet-Fractions. Students will have hw in the Fraction packet tonight. Please continue to study, practice w your child at home & do ST Math as much as possible!


January 28, 2013

This week in Math we are working on Area, Perimeter & Volume. There are Area, Perimeter & Volume Worksheets on the website in the Extra Practice for Math section. Please print these out & have your child work on them at home. Also do ST Math at home! It provides great practice in Area, Perimeter & Volume! Students have also received their ISAT rulers for ISAT measuring activties. The ISAT rulers are very different from a regular ruler because they start at 0. Students must begin to measure at the "0", not at the edge of the ruler or they will arrive at an incorrect measurement. If your child loses his/her ISAT ruler, you may print another one out on the website. Go to the Links section and locate the Link for the 2011 ISAT Math "80 pg." practice booklet. Click on it. Scroll down to the Math section and find the ISAT ruler.

January 23, 2013

Yesterday students received their Math Test back for ch. 12, their Spelling Test for Les. 14 and their fact Test for the 9's & 10's. If your child's papers were stamped "Parent's Signature", please sign the test & return it ASAP. Tomorrow we are working on our Theme 3 Test; please use the review sheet sent home last week to study. In class today, we went over all of the answers for one of the Reading worksheets that the students had for hw last night-Grammar sheet 125/54 as a review of subject/object pronouns, antecedents, pronouns that agree in gender & number, & possessive nouns (sing./plural.) Students were allowed to keep this sheet (125/54) to study at home. Remember the Theme tests are very important because they are comprehensive; please review! Ask your child what he/she received on the Theme 2 Test.



January 18, 2013

Theme 3 Test in Reading next week: students are receiving their Study Packet today. They should study over the long weekend as well as complete their ISAT Math in the Tables & Graphs packet & their ISAT reading in the Vocab. Development packet. See the assignment sheet for Reading & Math for this week for the pages to complete in both packets for weekend homework.



January 17, 2013

Tests tomorrow: Reading Test & Spelling Test Lesson 14, Math Test ch. 12, Fact Test, 9's & 10's

Today students received their next ISAT Math packet-"Tables & Graphs"- for 1/21-1/25. We have almost completed the Math packet for this week- "Geometric Shapes." Over the weekend, students will have work to do in the "Tables & Graphs" packet as well as in their Reading packet- "Vocabulary Development." STUDENTS SHOULD BE WORKING ON ST MATH DAILY AT HOME if possible- for at least 30 min. to 1 hour.


January 14, 2013

Today, students are bringing home their graded Math Test for ch. 11 that we took on Friday as well as their Spelling Test on Less. 13 and their Fact Test on the 7's & 8's. Students will receive their graded Reading Test on ch. 13, that they took this past Friday, later this week. Please sign any papers that require a parent's signature & return them to school tomorrow. This Friday we are testing on Reading Less. 14 (Spelling & Reading Test) & Math ch. 12. Next week we will be Theme testing because we will be working on Lesson 15 in Reading which is our Review Lesson. The Theme Test is comprehensive and covers Lessons 11-15; a study packet will be sent home this week; the test will be next week.  MAPS TEST-Math-Wednesday


January 9, 2013

Tonight students are completing another Reading extended response for homework based on "A Tree Is Growing." Be sure to follow all of the guidelines for completing a good Reading extended response.

Today students who completed the "Pen Pal for Max" extended response last week are receiving those back today-graded with many comments as well as the Math extended response that the children completed over the weekend for homework that was due Monday, Jan. 7. Please go over these with your child at home as you should with all graded papers. Please review all of the comments with your child.
The Reading MAPS test was yesterday. Next week, January 16, we will have our Math MAPS test. Please see the Links in the Link section for online MAPS practice.




January 7, 2013

Students will be receiving quite a bit of ISAT practice in class DAILY as we get closer to March. Today students are getting a large Math ISAT packet- titled "Measurement" and a large Reading ISAT packet- titled "Vocabulary Development". We will be completing a few pages from these packets every day in conjunction with our regular daily lessons. Students must keep the packets in their ISAT folders. They may bring their ISAT folders home anytime to study but they are not to be left at home. If your child leaves the ISAT folder at home, he/she will not have the ISAT work to complete in class. Treat the ISAT folders with all of the handouts inside, as a textbook-DO NOT LEAVE IT AT HOME. You will begin to see, "Study packets and handouts in ISAT folders", on the yellow assignment sheets. Students MUST keep up with their materials.

ALSO, please look at the LINKS section and click on the ISBE website. There is so much valuable test information for parents available on the site. I have also added a Link for the MAPS Reading & Math tests that the students take in school on the computer. These sites provide practice for all levels. Students received a copy of their FALL MAPS test scores in Reading & Math at Report card pickup. Our Winter MAPS testing window has just opened and we just found out over the weekend that our Reading MAPS test will be tomorrow afternoon. So students will be testing in Reading for MAPS tomorrow. If time permits at home tonight, have your child try some of the MAPS Practice through the Link on our website.


January 3, 2013

December Reading Logs are due this week.

Students will also have a Math Extended Response for homework tomorrow night. We will also be completing one in class tomorrow as an example and it will be sent home to help students complete their homework. Students will also receive the Math Extended Resp. rubric, the instructions on how to use the 4 Square Method to complete a Math Extended Response & a Math Extended Response completed by a third grader for a previous ISAT.  There will be a sample Math Extended Response on the website.



December 19, 2012

Welcome back and Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a relaxing break. Thank you so much for all of the cards and gifts from your children! They were great! It was so thoughtful of you!

We will begin Reading Lesson 13 next week as well as Math ch. 11. Continue to study x Facts!

This week students will NOT receive a yellow assignment sheet in Reading nor in Math due to the short week. However, there will still be homework. Students will be completing Science text p. E13 tonight. They must write each question and answer in complete sentences. We are beginning a new chapter in Science-"Properties of Matter," ch. 1. Students are receiving their Science Test on "Forces That Shape the Land" back graded, today along with 2 weekly Reading Tests, a Spelling Test and their Math Test on ch. 10.

There will also be a Reading Extended Resp. based on "A Pen Pal for Max", for homework tonight. Students will need their Storytown books.Hakeem is our Spelling Bee winner for room 212. He will be representing our class in the Intermediate Level Spelling Bee in the CAC! (Date to be announced.)Congratulations & Good Luck Hakeem!!!! Our top ST Math students are Ryan E., Rahmya, Anjelo, Richya & Jordan! Great job! Keep it up!

We were having some technical difficulties with Think Central but it should be working now. Remember, you can access the Reading book (Storytown) on Think Central as well as the Practice, Grammar, Spelling, Challenge & Extra Support sheets that we use in class and give for homework. The username is your child's student ID # and the password is chicago- all lowercase letters. Please see the additional information about Think Central in the Links section of our website.

Study x Facts Daily!!!!!


December 17, 2012

Science Test ch. 2-Forces that Shape the Land- this Friday-Study sheet sent home today; not posted on website

Reading & Spelling Tests- Lesson 12-this Friday

Math Test ch. 10-  this Friday-Study sheet sent home today & posted on website (ch. 9 test returned today)

Fact Quiz on 5's & 6's this Friday!


Spelling Bee-Wed.-additional copy of words sent home today



December 14, 2012

Today students received an extended response to work on over the weekend. Please be sure your child completes the assignment. It is very important that students remember to include their evidence (facts & details from the text), an explanation (explain their evidence-tell more about it) and connections (relate their evidence to themselves, another text or to the world.) If students do not do all 3, they will NOT earn a "4" on their extended response.

Students who completed the Kenyon ext. resp. received that back today-graded with comments. They should use the comments to help them with their ext. resp. this weekend. Students have also brought home their ISAT folder with handouts & ISAT Practice papers that we have completed & graded in class. We will be adding more papers to our ISAT folders each week. Please take the time each week to look at your child's folder. Students may bring the ISAT folder home but it should not be left at home.

Today we had our Math test on ch. 9, our Reading & Spelling Test on Les. 11 and our fact test on the 3's & 4's. Students should prepare for next week's fact test on the 5's & 6's and next week's Math test on ch. 10.  There will be a study sheet on Math test ch. 10 next week. Also, we will have a Science test on our "Forces that Shape the Land" chapter next Friday; students will receive their study sheet on Monday for the Science test.
Classroom Spelling Bee- Wed., Dec. 19 in class! Students received the words last month. They will receive an additional copy on Monday.


December 7, 2012

Reading logs for December went home yesterday; logs are on yellow paper. They are due after the Winter Break with 15 books; students may use the back of the log to record more books. For homework in Reading last night, students had to complete an extended response without using the Extended Response Map. They were given two samples of extended responses- a "3" and a "4". These were examples of responses written by 3rd graders on past tests. Please use these as examples of what a "good" extended response should look like. Next week, we will be talking about the Math Extended Response.

On Monday, students will have the ch. 3 Social Studies test; they should review their ch. 3 Practice Test over the weekend. Also, next Friday, we will have the test on Math ch. 9 as well as the timed Fact Test on the 3's & 4's.  The study sheet for ch. 9 is on the website; students will receive their copy next week.

Many students are NOT studying their x Facts. There will be multiplication & division on the ISAT. Students MUST memorize ALL of their facts!


December 3, 2012

Students received the Reading Theme 2 Study Guide last Friday. We are at the end of Theme 2; students will be having their Theme 2 test this Thursday & Friday. Be sure your child completes all of the practice questions in the study packet, reviews all of the Vocab. & the Reading/Grammar skills covered in Theme 2. We will be having a test on Math ch. 8 this Friday; students are receiving a Study Sheet for ch. 8 today. We will have a Soc. St. test on ch. 3 next week; students will receive their Soc. St. Practice Test on Wed.

November, 19, 2012

Remember our field trip is tomorrow. Students must bring a bag lunch. It would be a great idea to only send disposable items & to pack the lunch in a paper sack so your child will not have to walk around the museum holding a lunch bag/box.

Our Reading test on Lesson 8 will be Wednesday. Make sure your child is studying/reviewing this week. Also our first timed x fact test on the 1's & 2's will be this Wed. There are Multiplication Worksheets  & Flashcards on the website so please take the time to print some out for your child to work on at home and especially during the Thanksgiving break.

Please return your child's report card signed ASAP. Some students received another copy of the School-Parent Compact that was handed out at the beginning of the year because their form has not yet been returned and the office must have a signed copy from every child/parent. If your child received the School-Parent Compact, please sign it, have your child sign it & return it to school immediately; the office needs this form! Thank you!



Nov. 8, 2012

Today students are getting back their extended response map that they completed on Bad Dog Marley, that Ms. Hastings read to the third grade classes. The maps will have corrections & comments. Please use them to help your child with the extended response map that they will be completing for homework tonight. The map was graded on a scale from 0-4 because this is the same rubric that is used to grade the ISAT extended responses. Eventually, students will be required to write an extended resp. without the aid of a map or graphic organizer because they will not be able to use one on the ISAT. They must write their own essay/extended response using facts & details to support their answers, evidence, quotes from the text, explanations for each piece of evidence & CONNECTIONS! Some students made no connections in the ext. resp. maps. Students must make a text to text, text to self or text to world connection(s).

Please be sure to review "expressions" in Math. Expressions were part of the Math hw last night. Some students did not write their expressions correctly. Expressions are only PART of a number sentence and they DO NOT have an equal sign nor an answer. 5+4 is an expression; 5+4=9 is NOT an expression, it is a number sentence. If the question on the test tomorrow in Math asks for an expression, students must write an expression, NOT a number sentence or equation, or it will be marked wrong.

Tomorrow, Nov. 9, students will receive their Practice Test for next week's Unit 1 Test in Math; Unit 1 covers ch. 1-4 in Math.

Nov. 7, 2012

Yesterday students received their study sheet for the ch. 4 Science Test. This study sheet will not be on the website. Please be sure to review this sheet with your child at home. The Science Test will be next Thursday, Nov. 15. We will also have a comprehensive Unit 1 Test in Math similar to the Reading Theme 1 Test that students just took. This Unit 1 Test will cover Math ch. 1-4.  Students will receive a Study Sheet on Friday to review over the weekend. This sheet will be on the website this weekend. 

Also start studying x Facts because our next chapter in Math will be ch. 7 on Multipication and we will begin to have x Fact Tests similar to our + Fact Tests. The Math Unit 1 Test will be next Friday.  TODAY, I will be sending home a copy of your child's graded subtraction homework & classwork from last week, so you can review it at home for this Friday's Math Test. These papers are part of your child's 2nd qtr. grades. I have the originals in the Report Card Folder to discuss with you next Tuesday at Report Card Pickup. Some students need to spend additional time studying/practicing subtraction.

We made changes today to the Reading hw on the yellow Reading assignment sheet.


Nov. 6, 2012

For Math hw tonight, students should review ch. 4 & practice subtraction with regrouping. We only have one more section in ch. 4 to complete prior to the Math Test (section 6-Algebra: Expressions & Number Sentences.) Students received a handout on Comprehension Strategies to use at home. Please use this sheet when reading with your child and at home.

Today we watched a video about electing the President and the electoral college. Please take time today to talk to your child about the voting process & the election and how the electoral college elects the President. Ask your child to tell you what we learned today about the electoral college.


Nov. 5, 2012

Today students received their Study Sheet for Friday's Math Test on ch. 4 & their words for the upcoming Spelling Bee. Start practicing now!  The date will be announced soon. Please remember, students will not receive any graded papers this week because I will be making folders for Report Card Pickup next Tuesday. Papers will be held until conference time. Today in Social Studies, we read about Jane Addams & Hull House & watched a short video of her life. Ask your child to tell you about her & how her achievements were significant in Chicago.

Students who brought money to school today will be bringing home their Book Fair items! Parents & students can visit the Book Fair again on Report Card Day!


Nov. 2 ,2012

Today students took their Social Studies test on ch. 2, their Less. 6 Weekly Reading Test & their Less. 6 Spelling Test. The Fact test on the 11's & 12's will be Monday; students will have additional time to study.

Students have Math homework this weekend in addition to a book report. Please see the Math assignment sheet for this week. Please practice, practice, practice subtraction with regrouping this weekend! There will be numerous subtraction problems & story problems on the ch. 4 Math Test next week.

Students also received their scoring sheet for their Theme 1 Reading Test. We cannot send home the actual test because it is in a booklet. If your child's test says: Parents Please Sign, please sign & return as soon as possible.

Some upcoming dates to take note of: 11/15/12 - Ringling Brothers Circus Trip (students & parents may not take pictures, may not bring any glass bottles & students will not be allowed to make purchases); 11/20/12- Museum of Science Industry Trip

Students will not receive any more graded papers for first quarter because I will be holding them to put in their folders for parents for report cards. We will discuss them at conferences. If you cannot attend report card conferences, your child's folder will be sent home the next day.

Our class will be visiting the Scholastic Book Fair Monday. Students received a reminder & a flyer this week. You may send money to school with your child on Monday- in an envelope with his/her name & homeroom #

Oct. 29, 2012

The Hispanic-Heritage reports were due today. Students received graded papers today; please review them with your child at home & sign any "Parents Please Sign", papers & return them to school. We are beginning ch. 4 in Math. Please take the time to print out some of the Subtraction Practice sheets in the Extra Practice Math Worksheet section for your child to complete at home.

Trip money is due by TOMORROW!


Oct. 26, 2012

Today, most of the children completed their Theme 1 Tests. They took their ch. 3 Math tests today as well as their Fact Test for the 9's & 10's. I was able to grade the ch. 3 Math Tests and return them to the children today. Most of the kids did a great job! They were really working hard on their "Predict & Test" tables. Bravo! If your child's test must be signed, please review it, in depth, over the weekend- REDO all of the problems on a separate sheet of paper & return it to me on Monday. Students will see problems like the ones on the ch. 3 test again & again & again throughout the year & ON THE ISAT.

The children also received a Practice Test for the next Social Studies test-ch. 2- next week. Remember the Research Report on a famous Hispanic American is due Monday also. This report must be written in the student's OWN WORDS. Please see the notes to parents on the yellow Math, Sci., Soc. St. assignment sheet for this week.

October Reading Logs are due Oct. 31, our Field Trip is Oct. 31 & our Halloween party is Oct. 31 after the Field Trip!


Oct. 25, 2012

Students will not receive the Reading extended response for hw tonight on the yellow Reading Assignment Sheet. They should just continue to study the green Theme 1 Study packet. We worked on our Theme 1 test today & we will continue tomorrow.

Oct. 24, 2012

Today we had a great time at the Ringling Brothers Boss Clown Debate! Ask your child to tell you about the debate and who won the Boss Clown election!  For homework in Reading, students should be studying their green Theme 1 Study Packet and in Math they should be using the blue Math study sheet to review for Friday's Math Test on ch. 3. The ch. 3 test is a hard test.  Please be sure your child spends additional time practicing-especially the Predict & Test questions. Be sure, he/she completes the practice questions on the blue Math study sheet.

Students also received permission slips today for an upcoming field trip-the Children's International Film Festival, Wed., Oct. 31. The cost of the trip is $6.00.  I must have the permission slip and the money by next TUESDAY, OCT. 30.  Please remember when sending money to school, it must be in an envelope with your child's name and homeroom #.


Oct. 19, 2012

Students received their Theme 1 Study Packets today (on green paper.) Next week-Wed.-Fri., we will be taking our Theme 1 tests. The entire third grade POD is at the end of Theme 1 in Reading. Every 5 lessons there is a theme test that covers all of the concepts & skills in the previous 4 lessons. So, the Theme 1 Test covers Lessons 1-4. Lesson 5, which we will be working on next week, is our review lesson prior to the Theme Test. Please take the time to thoroughly read the green Theme 1 Study Packet this weekend and have your child complete the review sheets attached. These sheets do not need to be handed in-they are meant to be a review. The Study packet will not be posted on the website.

Picture Day is Monday- 10:20 am.

Students should return their media release packets for the Ringling Brothers Boss Clown Debate next Wed. If we do not receive all of the forms in the packet back signed, due to legal reasons, your child will not be able to participate in the circus activities and will be seated away from the show.

Oct. 17, 2012

Today students received the following: a yellow note from school, their 1st qtr. progress reports, the graded Spelling Test for Lesson 3, the Math Fact Test for the 5's & 6's, and the Science Test on Rocks, Minerals & Fossils. Please sign the progress reports and if your child has a Remediation Plan attached, please sign that sheet also and return all before Friday. If any of your child's tests read Parents Please Sign, please sign & return as soon as possible. Remember, our Social Studies test on ch. 1 will be Friday along with the regular Reading/Vocab. Test & Spelling Test for Lesson 4 & the Fact Test on the 7's & 8's.

Picture Day is MONDAY!

Oct. 16, 2012

Students received their Study Guide/Practice Test for Friday's Social Studies Test on Monday. Today we finished going over all of the answers for the Practice Test; students should be reviewing at home this week. The Study Guide is posted on the website. This week our POD is skipping to ch. 4 in Science: "Earth's Resources" instead of working on ch. 2, "Forces that Shape the Land". Students also have Science hw tonight.

Please continue to work on rounding in Math because we will be rounding in chapter 3.

Students also received 3 ISAT handouts today that they have in their ISAT folders. One handout is labeled : "For Parents" Please read that handout & keep it at home for your reference. Students are allowed to bring their ISAT folders home at any time but they must have them in school daily with their papers inside. After parents remove the "For Parents" ISAT paper, students should have 2 ISAT handouts left in their ISAT folders: 1 pink & 1 green. They will be receiving many more as the year progresses.

Remember, picture day is Monday! Students need to return their picture envelope & money as soon as possible.


Oct. 12, 2012

Today students took their Math ch. 2 Test, their ch. 1 Science Test, their Reading Test on Lesson 3 and their Lesson 3 Spelling Test. The facts test on the 5's & 6's will be Monday so students will have extra time to study over the weekend. The test will be 1 min. 45 seconds.

Some students still have not returned their Lesson 2 Reading Tests signed. If your child has any graded papers/tests that read "Parent's Signature", please sign & return them on Monday.

I was also able to grade the Math ch. 2 Test Today after the children finished taking it, so they will be bringing that test home also.

Be sure your child finishes the book report for homework & works on ST Math over the weekend. Some children did not return their Social Studies project that was due today. Please make sure he/she has the project on Monday as now it will already be late.

Oct. 10. 2012

Today was an early dismissal day. Students have extra time this afternoon to study & prepare for the Math/Reading & Science Tests on Friday as well as work on their Social Studies project. There were several notes from school sent home today. Check your child's "Notes" Folder. Also the Reading Test for Lesson 2 was sent home today.  Please make time to review the answers at home. If your child's test must be signed please do so & return it as soon as you can.

The Science Study Guide for Friday's Test is now on the website. Students received their copy on Monday, Oct. 8.

Oct. 8, 2012

Students received quite a few graded papers today. Please go through your child's graded papers at home. Sign & return any papers that require a parent's signature. Teachers will be working on mid-first quarter progress reports this week.  If your child was missing any assignments, they needed to be handed in by today-Oct. 8! Please look back at the Oct. 2 Reminder.

Today, students received their study sheet for the Math Test on ch. 2 & the ch. 1 Science Test. Both tests will be Friday, Oct. 12 along with the weekly Reading/Spelling/Vocab. Tests. Please go over the study sheets at home with your child and start working on the answers for the Science study guide. We filled in most of the Science study guide today in class.

Practice rounding with your child at home. We took quite a few notes on rounding today in our Math notebooks. We will be rounding to the nearest 10, 100 & 1,000. Please look over the rounding rules in your child's math notebook. Today we wrote the rules for rounding to the nearest 10 & the nearest 100; students should use those rules to help them complete their Math hw tonight.

Students also received their instructions on their Social Studies project due Friday, Oct. 12. This information is posted on the website along with the Math ch.2 Study sheet.

Oct. 4, 2012

Fundraiser packets were sent home today as well as a yellow note from the office with important upcoming dates. Please take the time to read both. Also there is information on the Math, Sci., & SS., Assignment Sheet for this week (10/1-10/5) about a special project that students will be completing next week for Social Studies; please read Thursday's (10/4) assignment.

Some students are receiving an additional copy of the Promotional Policy that I need signed & returned to school tomorrow- 10/5.

October 2, 1012

1st qtr. progress reports will be coming soon. If your child has missing assignments, they must be completed and handed in by Monday, Oct. 8, 2012 in order to count as part of the 1st qtr. progress report grades. Missing/Late work not handed in by 10/8 will NOT be included in your child's mid-quarter grades but WILL count for report card grades for 1st qtr. Please remember work should always be handed in on time and points are deducted from late assignments.

The Lesson 1 Weekly Rdg. Tests were sent home today. If your child has a "parents please sign paper", please make sure you sign it & return it school as soon as possible.

I still need the Promotion Policy notes signed & returned and the School-Parent Compact.

Many students still need to cover their textbooks.


Please look at the Extra Practice Math & Reading Worksheets for additional work to reinforce the concepts/skills that we will be working on in Reading this week- Lesson 2 (Punctuating the 4 types of sentences) & in Math (Comparing Numbers & Rounding to the Nearest 10, 100, 1000.)
Students received a copy of the promotional policy for 3rd grade today. Please fill out the bottom portion & return it to school ASAP. Some students still have not returned the School Parent Compact.




October 1, 2012
Students are receiving many graded papers today. Please review them ALL at home with your child, especially the Math Test & Spelling Test. If any of your child's papers read, "Parents Please Sign", please do so & return as soon as you can.

I am also grading classwork completed in the Science & Social Studies notebooks. Please be sure your child has a notebook for Science, a notebook for Social Studies, a notebook for Reading & a notebook for Math. These notebooks are very, very important. Please ask your child to show you his/her notebooks.  There should not be multiple subjects in one notebook. One subject per notebook.



September 27, 2012

Yesterday, students received their login information for Think Central on an index card- the username is their student id# number and the password is "chicago" (all lowercase). Please go to the Links section on the class website to find the Think Central link. Think Central gives you access to the Storytown Reading Book as well as other resources that we use in class and for homework such as the Grammar Book & Spelling Book. When you log in, be sure to select Chicago Public Schools District 299 and Walt Disney Magnet School, not Disney 2.

Students are also receiving book order forms today as well as yesterday- you may order online; see the Scholastic Book Clubs section for the classroom code to order books on the Scholastic website (link to Scholastic is in Links section.)

Last night students had to answer questions in their Social Studies text & in their Storytown books. Many students did not write their questions nor answer in complete sentences and had to redo their assignments.  Please be sure your child always follows the directions for homework especially when asked to write complete sentences. We are working on having the children respond to questions in complete sentences orally as well as on paper because for the extended resp. questions on the ISAT, answers MUST BE in complete sentences- this is a very important skill.  We learned in Reading Lesson 1 that a sentence expresses a complete thought and has two parts- a naming part & an action part- if it does not, it is not complete and we call it a fragment.

Today students are receiving their Reading Log information in a packet. You may detach the pink letter to the parents & keep it at home but students need to keep the blue genre paper and their October Reading Logs in their Reading folders. Students must read at least 10 books & record all of the appropriate information on the Reading Log which is not due until Oct. 31. Students may not just list books that they have already read but read new books that they read in October.  If your child is reading a chapter book, he/she may choose to list the individual chapters on the lines and each chapter will count as a separate "book". This activity is meant to encourage independent reading. Also, the number of books is recorded on the report card each qtr. Please help your child keep track of the books he/she has read. You may print an additional Reading Log from the website if your child misplaces his.

I look forward to seeing you at Open House tonight- 6 to 7pm!!!!!!!!!


September 24, 2012

Today students are bringing home quite a few graded papers. Please take the time to look through your child's graded papers and go over any incorrect answers. If your child's paper reads: Parents Please Sign, please sign the paper & return it to school ASAP. Many students still have not returned their Media Release form or their lunch form; please do so as soon as possible. Many students still do not have all of their supplies- notebooks, folders, etc. The notebooks are extremely important because we take notes in various subjects daily and students need to have their notes in the appropriate notebooks. So far we have taken Math notes, Reading notes & Social Studies notes. If your child is taking notes on looseleaf paper because he/she does not have notebooks, it is a great possibility that they may be lost or misplaced prior to the test and he/she will not have them to study.

Our first Math test on ch. 1 is Friday (the study sheet is on the back of the yellow Math assignment sheet.) The addition fact test for the 1's & 2's will be Friday- this is  a 2min. timed test. Our first Reading test on Lesson 1 is also Friday as well as the Spelling/Vocab. tests. Please remember students are NOT to capitalize their Spelling words or they will be marked wrong. The Spelling words should also not be capitalized for ABC order; they will be marked wrong beginning with Lesson 2 ABC order.

Be sure your child is reading & studying daily.
Continue to do ST Math!!!

September 21, 2012

Be sure your child completes the weekend homework: Math text p. 5 & the book report. Please see both yellow assignment sheets. Also our first Reading Test/Spelling/Vocab. Tests will be next Friday- Sept. 28, as well as the first Math test on ch. 1 and the + fact test on the 1's & 2's. So spend some additional time studying this weekend. Students will receive a study sheet for the Friday Math test on Monday, Sept. 24.


September 19, 2012

Today students received their first 2 yellow assignment sheets. Parents please read ALL of the information on both assignment sheets very carefully and be sure your child completes the correct homework. Students also received their Vocabulary study sheet, their School-Home Connection Letter for Reading, their ring for their Vocab. cards & their + Fact Study Sheet with an orange note attached. There was also a handout from school sent home today.

I've also noticed that many students still do not have the necessary supplies for school. During our first week, we already labeled all of our folders & notebooks. It is extremely important that your child have the correct folders & notebooks every day. We have already begun to take notes in our Reading & Math notebooks and some students do not yet have these notebooks so they have to take notes on looseleaf paper. Looseleaf sheets of paper can easily be lost or misplaced and the student will not have all of the notes in one place to study when it is time for the test. Please be sure your child comes to school prepared & ready to work.

Some children still need to return their Media Release forms: (see the reminders section for Sept. 7) and if you have not yet given me your Parent Survey on the green paper, please do so ASAP. Please try to respond to all of the questions on the survey.


September 7, 2012

Today, students are receiving a Media Release form that needs to be signed and returned to school as soon as possible. Some students still have not returned their Lunch forms; Ms. Hamby needs these ASAP. There were also two notes sent home by CPS.

For homework tonight students must complete their "All About Me Books" and they have 1 Math worksheet to do. They should also read for at least 30 min. each day Sat. & Sun. Students will receive their regular yellow assignment sheets on Monday with Spelling & Vocabulary words for the week. The children were allowed to bring their textbooks home so please take time this weekend to look through your child's texts. Be sure he/she also works on ST Math this weekend! Log in information is on the website.


September 6, 2012

Students have Math for homework tonight and they are bringing home 1 graded Math paper that they completed in class. This grade has been entered in the CPS Gradebook. On the hw tonight, make sure your child rewrites each Math problem over vertically on a separate sheet of paper as we discussed in class- (there is an example on the homework sheet) and solve showing all of their work. So, if students need to regroup (or carry a number), they must show this in the problem.


September 5, 2012- Wednesday

Today students are bringing home a large envelope with quite a few handouts/letters for parents to read. There is another emergency form in the envelope; if you already filled out your emergency form yesterday and it was returned to school, you do not need to complete a second one. Keep the extra emergency form that you find in the large envelope in case any of your personal information changes and you need to fill out a new one. Students are also bringing home a parent survey (2 pages on green paper) that I would like for you to complete and return tomorrow, the latest-Friday. Remember lunch forms are due ASAP & I also need the last page (yellow paper) of the beginning of the year packet.

The homework for tonight is an orange paper on which students have to write a paragraph about their families and include a picture; pictures should be colored. Students should also be reading at least 20 min. each night.  Please make time to listen to your child read and ask "thinking" questions about what was read. Try questions such as, "Why do you think the character felt sad when she got on her school bus?" instead of questions such as, "What was the girl's name in the story?" Use higher-order thinking skill questions that make children analyze aspects of the story, reason & draw conclusions. Soon, students will be receiving information about Reading Logs and when their first log is due. There is already a blank Reading Log on the website but students will be receiving one in class.

Students must always remember to answer ALL questions in complete sentences in speech & in writing. Encourage your child to speak/respond to you in complete sentences at home for practice. For example, if a question reads: Why did the boy go to the library?

Students should respond: The boy went to the library to get a book for his report. (The answer is a complete sentence & includes part of the question in the answer.) Some students had difficulty with this skill on their homework last night and had to redo their answers.  If your child had to make corrections on last night's homework, please make sure he/she returns the corrected paper tomorrow.

September 4, 2012-Tuesday

Today, students are bringing home their beginning of the year packet, an emergency form, their facility schedule, 1 homework assignment & some students will have a lunch form that needs to be completed ASAP and returned to school. Please read everything in the beginning of the year packet carefully, especially the homework section, sign the last yellow page & return it to school along with the emergency form & the lunch form if applicable. Even if your child brings a lunch, Ms. Hamby, our second floor clerk has still advised the children to have their parents complete the form. Take note of the facility schedule (pink paper)- gym will be Fridays. Please be sure your child is dressed appropriately for gym.

The homework assignment is a student questionnaire. The children should be as detailed as possible and answer each question in a complete sentence. Parents, remember to sign your child's paper to indicate that you did review the assignment. Students may also work on the extra practice worksheets on the website & parents please see the Links section for links to valuable resources for test prep.  Students are already logged into ST Math for 3rd grade so they may also work on ST MATH at home. Please call or email me if you have any questions.

September 3, 2012-Monday

This week students will be bringing home quite a bit of information. Please be sure that you check your child's backpack daily. Students will also receive a homework assignment each night this week; please be sure that your child completes each assignment, writes his/her first & last name at the top as well as the date. This is required on ALL homework. Please remember to sign your child's work so that I will know that you checked it over.

We will be busy testing students all week in Reading & Math to see what areas they need work in and where they are the strongest. This will allow us to group students accordingly.

Students will not receive their regular "assignment sheet" listing all of their work this week; this will begin next week- Monday, Sept. 10. The regular assignment sheets will be yellow and will have the students Spelling & Vocab. words and all of the homework for the week in Reading, and a second assignment sheet will be for Math, Science & Social Studies on which students will record their work for these 3 subjects. Both assignment sheets will be posted on the class website for you to check daily.

Check this "Reminders" section every day!
 
Last Modified: Monday, May. 20, 2013
 
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